Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS71 vs Pirelli Powergy — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Ecsta PS71 leads, 68–67 Narrow edge

Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

Tests 67 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,166 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)

“On Blackcircles all the 245/40 R19 ditch finders cost around £100 and have a poor wet grip & all the decent mid range cost around £170 and have A rated wet grip. Would you risk it for £240? I know I wouldn't. The cheapest A wet rated is a Kuhmo Ecsta PS71 at £136 if you really want to keep the cost down. If you want a relatively soft comfortable tyre then a Hankook S1 Evo 3 is an excellent choice.”

Tire BPirelli

Powergy

Summer

Tests 76 · 1 test Owners 61 · 1,805 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test (noise)

“Avg 29mpg on a 2015 Mazda 3 Sport Nav 2L 165bhp, any ideas? I've had this car for about 3-4 weeks now, posted it here on this subreddit too. So far, I've done about 800 miles and my average fuel consumtion seems to be around 29mpg - 10.2L/100km. The car doesn't have its original rims, its on **MAM RS3** 18" rims with Pirelli Powergy tires 215/45/R18 (internet says these tires provide good fuel economy). On longer trips the average is about 40mpg-45mpg which still seems a bit high. My work commute is about 2 miles, and I do occasionally drive in a spirited manner. Is this okay? Thank you all!”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 75

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)7877
    Reviews found online7164
    Dry Braking (% of best)100%94%
  2. 84

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +12
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)9076
    Reviews found online7367
    Wet Braking (% of best)91%96%
    Wet Circle (% of best)99%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)92%97%
  3. 71

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +3
    68
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)7574
    Reviews found online6558
  4. 38

    Noise

    Powergy +36
    74
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)1879
  5. 52

    Treadwear

    Powergy +5
    57
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)45–
    Reviews found online6351
  6. 71

    Handling

    Ecsta PS71 +8
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Powergy
    Reviews found online7163
Scores at a glance
Kumho Ecsta PS71 vs Pirelli Powergy: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS71Pirelli Powergy
Relative Score 68 67
Dry 75 72
Wet 84 72
Comfort 71 68
Noise 38 74
Treadwear 52 57
Handling 71 63

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta PS71

Powergy

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryEcsta PS71PowergyΔBoth?
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 86% #6/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 81% #8/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +4.8 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 94% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +6.5 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 83% #15/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 81% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +2.3 Different tests
Noise Other 95% #20/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −4.5 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/52 · 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout 20% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +5.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 98% #3/16 · 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test 92% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +6.0 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 94% #10/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 93% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +1.1 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 92% #2/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 93% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −1.1 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #13/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 96% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −4.7 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 99% #5/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 98% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +0.6 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 92% #7/8 · 2018 Auto Bild 20 inch UHP Tyre Test 97% #2/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −4.6 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ecsta PS71

Pros

  • Outstanding wet weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
  • High value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Predictable handling and solid cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise or droning at motorway speeds on certain vehicles
  • Occasional reports of balancing difficulties or out-of-round/egg-shaped tires
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to slightly vague steering response around center or tread block movement
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS71 review

Tire B Powergy

Pros

  • Significantly reduced road noise and quiet highway ride
  • Strong dry and wet grip for daily commuting
  • Comfortable and smooth ride quality compared to run-flats

Cons

  • Faster than average tread wear or shallow initial tread depth
  • Negative impact on fuel economy (MPG) for some users
  • Soft sidewalls leading to muted steering feedback and less precise handling at the limit
All owner themes in the Powergy review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Kumho Ecsta PS71 is generally positive, with drivers viewing it as an affordable, high-value mid-range/UHP tire that performs reliably compared to premium brands. Users praise its wet grip rating, competitive pricing, and overall road manners once warmed up, though some note it provides adequate rather than top-tier grip and raise questions regarding cold performance and tread life.

Top themes
#Value for money#Wet grip performance#UHP budget alternative#Tread wear durability#Warm-up temperature behavior#Tire pressure specifications

Based on 24 community posts

Tire B

Pirelli Powergy

Mixed

Community discussions around Pirelli Powergy show mixed views, with many users regarding them as an eco or budget-oriented alternative rather than a performance tire. While some drivers appreciate the attractive pricing and consider them decent for daily driving and fuel economy, others report issues such as highway vibrations or express uncertainty about mixing them with premium lines like Cinturato.

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-08-31

“Ripples in side wall Just been washing the car and found what I can only describe as ripples in the side wall of my front-right tyre. Had these fitted in June, only just noticed the ripples. The other tyres are perfect. I’ve probably done around 2,000 miles on them. Should I be concerned, and do they look like a manufacturing defect, or as a result of damage? (I’ve not hit any serious potholes that I’m aware of). These tyres are Pirelli Powergy, fitted to a Volvo XC60. Date code is 3325. Any help gratefully received. Read more”

r/GRYaris ·3 upvotes ·2025-03-07

“Are Pirelli Powergy Winter the right winter tires for the GR? Hey, my parents bought a GR Yaris last week and it’s a great car but I looked at its winter tires and those are Pirelli Powergy Winter. I’m not an expert on tires but as far as I know the P-Zero Winter would be the right choice for a GR. My father didn’t bought them because he thought it was the right tires rather a tire salesman talked him into it. I talked him into Pirelli as those were the factory tires for his Volvo 850R and would be a better choice then his current Conti Premium 5 but somehow my father misunderstood me to that point that Pirelli’s are the greatest tires ever. So he asked the salesmen for the best Pirelli Tires and told the car it’s for but the salesman sold him those Powergy tires and said that not all Pirelli’s are in stock. As my father isn’t an enthusiast but loves likes to drive performance cars he didn’t knew better and now it’s too late. In my eyes a good salesman (not in the way of profit for the company rather costumer experience) would have told him that the P-Zeros winter are out of stock but can be ordered or would show him tires from different companies. Another option is the salesman though he meant the GR Sport Yaris for which P-Zero winters are too much as not many persons in their sixties drive a real GR. So my question are the Powergy enough for the GR or should he get P-Zeros next Winter (in a few weeks we will put on summer tires)”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-05-18

“Pirelli cinturato P7 and Pirelli Powergy Hi all 👋🏼 So I had 4 Pirelli Cinturato P7’s on my Ford Focus ST. I got a flat tire (front left) while I was on vacation so I decided to get 2 new tires at the front. I asked the guy at the tire shop to get the same tires (so the Pirelli Cinturato’s). He got me Pirelli Powergy’s instead… He didn’t really speak English and there was not time as I was driving home the next day. So I just accepted it. Now my question is what’s the main difference between these tires? And does it matter I got 2 different tires now? (2 powergy’s at the front and 2 Cinturato’s at the back) Thanks!🙏🏼”

Top themes
#budget and eco line#tire mixing and compatibility#ride comfort and vibrations#pricing and promotions#daily winter driving performance#sidewall durability concerns

Based on 17 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 B · Pirelli Powergy
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available13387
Rim diameters16″ – 22″15″ – 21″
SidewallBlackwall—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Pirelli Powergy

Too close to call: Kumho Ecsta PS71 and Pirelli Powergy are within 2 points overall. Kumho Ecsta PS71 is stronger on wet, handling and dry. Pirelli Powergy is stronger on noise and treadwear.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Pirelli Powergy scores 74 vs 38 on noise.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 84 vs 72 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 71 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Powergy scores 57 vs 52 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire B · Pirelli Powergy

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

68

Narrow edge

Ecsta PS71

Amazon